Expansible shoe form



W, J. DE WlTT EXPANSIBLE SHOE FORM March-1, 1932.

Original Filed March 27, 1928 Patented Man. 1, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM J". DE WITT, OF AUBURN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO SHOE FORM 00., INC 01 AUBURN, NEW YORK, A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK EXPANSIBLE SHOE FORM 'Original application filed March 27, 1928, Serial No.

265,000. Divided and this application filed May 9,

1929. Serial No. 361,662;

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 265,000, filed March 27, 1928.

This invention pertains to expansible forms or trees designed to keep footwear plumped out and free from wrinkles while on exhibition, during shipment or storage, and in the intervals between periods of use, and for spe cific illustration is herein disclosed as comprising a hollow, resilient, thin-walled shell such as may conveniently be made of sheet celluloid or equivalent material in accordance with well-known methods of procedure, for example, that described in my Patent No. 1,585,284, May 18, 1926,although in its broader aspects it is not necessarily limited to shells of this particular type or material.

In accordance with my present invention I provide an expansible form comprising a thin-walled shell together with expander means which in its simplest embodiment may be a simple spring reacting against the opposite sides of the form but which, in its preferred embodiment comprises a movable expander member, preferably a transverse (resilient or rigid) strut or bar reacting against opposite sides of the form and having adj ustable interlocking engagement with an element of the shell at one or both of its ends.

In addition to or in substitution for the adjustable transverse expander member, I sometimes employ an expansible element, for example, an arched or U-shaped rod or wire of resilient material such as steel, celluloid, or a combination thereof, extending around the toe portion of the shell from one side to the other of the latter, thereby adding to the inherent stiffness and resiliency of the shell, and this rod or wire may be so associated with the shell as to strengthen the toe of the latter and to impart a neat and smooth finish to the front end of the shell.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated, by way of example, a desirable embodiment of my invention, together with various modifications thereof, but with the understanding that the invention is not necessarily limited to the specific arrangements chosen for illustration of the broad principle of the invention.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved expansible form, indicating in broken lines the counter portion of a shoe with which the resilient rearwardly extending thrust-bar of the form engages; I Y I Fig. 2 is a plan view of the form of Fig. 1, with the thrust bar broken off; i

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section on line. 2"2 of Fig. 2; v

Fig. 3 is a plan view partly in section of a modified construction;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section on the line H of Fig. 3;

' Fig. 5 is a plan view partly in section of a further modification; and

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66 of Fig. 5.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the numeral 1 designates a hollow thin-walled resilient shell adapted to fit into the toe portion of a bootor shoe. This hollow shell has a smoothly continuous outer surface shaped to conform to the interior of the shoe and is preferably made of sheet celluloid or similar material by a process such for example as is disclosed in my Patent No. 1,585,284, dated May 18, 1926, although so far as the present invention isv concerned the mode of preparation of thishollow resilient shell is immate-. rial. As more fully pointed out in my patent just referred to, the very thin and uniformly resilient character of this shell furnishes an internal support for the shoe upper which does not substantially detract from the normal feel of the upper, although keeping it smooth and plumped out.

The shell 1 is preferably provided with an inturned marginal bottom flange comprising a narrow toe portion 2, but gradually widen-' ing rearwardly from the toe to form the wide side flange members 3 and 4. While this flange as here shown is continuous, it may be desirable, under certain circumstances, to separate the flange into sections or tab-like portions, and I contemplate that this may be done without departing from the spirit of the present invention. This flange is smooth and substantially free from wrinkles at the toe,'as well as at the sides, pro

viding a flat surface for contact with the shoe bottom.

While the shell 1, made as above suggested of sheet celluloid or similar material is quite resilient, I prefer under many conditions to increase the stiflly resilient character of the form by arranging the arched or substantially U-shaped expander member in the toe portion of the shell. Preferably this expanded member comprises a rod (solid or tubular) of suitable diameter and of resilient material which if desired may be bent approximately toshape before applying it to the form. This member, after bending, is laid into the angle between the flange 2 and the body of the shell proper, and secured in position in any desired manner. For example, if the shell be of celluloid, I may make the expander member of celluloid, and before applying it to the shell I dip it in a celluloid solvent, for example acetone, which forms a film of celluloid solution on its surface. After application, this film hardens and forms a homogeneous and integral union between the ex pander member and the shell. Obviously, in place of the celluloid expander element I may use an expander of wire or any other desired material. As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 2*, I prefer to employ a composite expander member comprisingthe tubular celluloid rod 5, having a steel or other resilient wire 6 passing through it. The tubular celluloid member 5 may be secured to the body of the shell in the manner above suggested, and thus forms a convenient means for retaining the more highly resilient metallic wire 6. As shown in Fig. 2, the ends of the wire 6 may project beyond the ends of the enclosing celluloid tube to any extent desired. I contemplate that, for certain purposes, the tube may be shortened up until it is of suflicient length merely to hold the wire 6 in position.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 3, as well as in the device shown in Fig.2, the bottom flange is very narrow at the toe portion, being in fact no wider, and preferably not so wide as the diametrical thickness of the arched expander memberc5 As shown in Fig. 4, this expander member 5 is of cylindrical section and preferably of celluloid, as above described, and the extreme edge 20 -.of the flange 2 is beveled to fit snugly against the member 5, so that the latter constitutes in effect a beaded or ribbed edge at the toe portion of the shell. I

Referring now to Fig. 5, the shell 1 has the inturned bottom flange comprising the narrow forward portion 2 and the wide rear portions 3 and 4. In this embodiment of the'invention the entire expansive effect is produced by the arched expanded member 5 which is seated in the angle between the flange and the shell proper, and which extends well toward the rear portion of the shell. This expander member is, as above described, of tubular form, enclosing the resilient metallic core 6 whose ends preferably project beyond the tubular enclosing member and are bent or looped as shown at 21 to provide a smooth finish.

While I have here shown and described certain specific embodiments of the invention, I wish it to be understood that the invention is not thus limited, but that variations in detail and the substitution of equivalents for elements here shown is within the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. An expansible shoe form comprising a hollow resilient thin-walled shell having a smoothly continuous outer surface shaped to conform to the interior of a shoe, said shell having an inwardly directed bottom flange and a celluloid rod disposed upon and secured to theupper surface of the flange, said rod conforming to the curved contour of the toe of the shell.

2. An expansible shoe form comprising a hollow resilient thin-walled shell having a smoothly continuous outer surface shaped to conform to the interior of a shoe, said shell having an inwardly directed bottom flange comprising a narrow portion at the toe of the shell and relatively wider portions at the sides ofthe shell, a cylindrical stiffener member of a diameter substantially equal to the width of the narrow part of the flange, said stiffener member being curved to conform to the contour of the toe of the shell and being disposed in the angle between the shell proper and the flange, and means uniting the stiffener member to the shell.

3. An expansible shoe form comprising a hollow resilient thin-walled shell havin a smoothly continuous outer surface shaped to conform to the interior of a shoe, said shell having an inwardly directed bottom flange, an arched wire expander member having its ends disposed adjacent to the opposite sides, respectively, of the shell, and a piece of celluloid tubing integrally united to the flange, said tubing receiving a portion of the wire expander member.

4. An expansible shoe form comprising a" hollow resilient thin-walled shell having a smoothly continuous outer surface shaped to conform to the interior of a shoe, said shell having an inwardly directed bottom flange, said flange being narrow at the forward part of the shell and gradually increasing in width at each side of the shell from the toe toward the rear of the shell, the narrow part of the flange being smooth and substantially free from wrinkles, and a rounded stiffening rib extending along the narrow portion of the flange.

5. An expansible shoe form comprising a hollow resilient thin-Walled shell having a smoothly continuous outer surface shaped to conform to the interior of a shoe, said shell having an inwardly directed bottom flange, and a substantially U-shaped stiffener comprising a rod of celluloid disposed at the toe portion of the shell in the angle between the shell proper and the flange, said rod being integrally united to the shell.

6. An expansible shoe form comprising a hollow resilient thin-walled shell havin a smoothly continuous outer surface shape to conform to the interior of a shoe, said shell having an inwardly directed bottom flange, a tubular rod disposed in the angle between the shell proper and the flange, means securing the rod in position, and a metallic wire within said tubular rod.

7. An expansible shoe form comprising a hollow resilient thin-walled shell having a smooth outer surface shaped to conform to the interior of a shoe, said shell having an inwardly directed bottom flange, a tubular rod disposed in the angle between the shell proper and the flange, means securing the rod in position, and a metal wire within said rod, the ends of the wire projecting beyond the ends of the rod.

8. An expansible shoe form comprising a hollow resilient thin-walled shell having a smooth outer surface shaped to conform to the interior of a shoe, said shell having an inwardly directed bottom flange, an arched expander member having its ends disposed adjacent to the opposite sides respectively of the shell, and a tubular member secured to the flange, said tubular member receiving a portion of the expander member and retaining the latter in operative position.

Signed by me at Auburn, N. Y., this 1st day of May, 1929.

WILLIAM J. DE WITT. 

